I Know What You're Thinking

Chapter 4

Dad didn't come home last night.

I didn't think he would.

Mum was gone when I woke up. She left a note on the bench telling me that she had gone to the supermarket and to do some other jobs. She told me to catch the bus and go to school.

I force myself to walk out the door and to stand next to the rusty pole with a picture of a bus on top of it. I wonder what I will do if mum and dad do seperate. Mum would probably go back to our old town. 

I don't know about dad. If he's in trouble with the police he probably can't go back. I would have to choose. 

I know the bus is coming before I see it. People's thoughts cram into my brain and I immediately shove my headphones in my ears. The bus slows and I start to step inside, before it jolts forward slightly, causing me to stumble. 

I crash against the floor. Laughter fills the previously silent vehicle. The bus driver smiles apologetically. I scramble to my feet and sit down. My knee already has a bruise forming. What a great start to the day. 

I stare out the window until the bus pulls up outside the school. I can barely comprehend what is going on, there are that many thoughts swimming in my head. I can't even tell which ones are mine. My vision blurs.

I focus all of my energy on walking, trying to navigate my way to my locker. I get distracted by a bright pink sign on the wall. I struggle to read it and then crash into somebody in front of me.

"Hey watch where you're going *****." The boy I crashed into flips me off and then turns away, his friends laughing in my general direction. 

"Sorry." I manage to mutter, then I scurry into the hallway i'm hoping is the right one. I almost crash into another person, but somehow I stop myself. The person turns around, and her face breaks into a grin when she sees me.

"CORDELIA!" She cries and hugs me. I wince at her loud voice. "Oh sorry. Was I too loud? Grandma says I can be very loud sometimes." She looks worried.

"It's fine I just have a headache." I look at the floor. 

"Hmm thats not good. Come-on i'll take you somewhere quiet." Evelyn takes my hand and drags me through the stuffy hallways, then she pushes open a door and we step out into the garden. She continues to pull me by my arm. I have no clue where she is taking me but eventually the other thoughts start to fade. 

"Here we are." She smiles. I look around. It's a little garden. I like it. There are pretty multicoloured flowers everywhere and small wooden stools. There is also a tiny sandpit filled with rocks and a tiny stream circles the area.

"What is this place?" I ask her. I notice that we are behind a small building, and that the whole thing is surrounded by a picket fence.

"Well this is the sensory garden, and that building is the wellbeing building. Barely anyone comes here. Which makes it quiet." Evelyn explains. A door in the side of the building opens and a woman walks out.

"Hello? Oh Evie nice to see you." The woman turns to me, her greyish green eyes staring.

"I'm Cordelia." I reply, quietly.

"Cordelia? Cordelia Pike?" The woman tilts her head.

"Yes." I reply in surprise.

"Your mother called this morning. Would you mind coming inside for a minute?" The woman smiles warmly.

Her thoughts tell me that her name is Aubrey Jones, or Miss. Jones. She's a trained social worker and therapist. My mother called this morning to refer me to her, because my mother believes I have depression and anxiety and now her and dad are fighting and she thinks it's too much for me. Hmm interesting. At least Miss. Jones seems nice.

"Ok." I  mumble and Miss. Jones smiles.

"Bye Cordelia. I'll see you soon." Evelyn grins then turns and walks away.

I follow Miss. Jones inside.

It's not very interesting. She says she doesn't have long before her first appointment of the day but she just wanted to introduce herself to me. Then, the bell goes and I have to go to class.

I navigate my way to the classroom Evelyn showed me to yesterday, my mind a raging cyclone. I step inside and take a seat at the very back. Evelyn is at the front. The teacher isn't here yet so I sit and listen to the most profound thoughts.

I want to go home.
Me too.

Where is this teacher?
No clue.

Is my dress too short? I feel like my dress is too short.
Who's thought is this? I don't see anyone with an extremely short dress.

Do you?

Actually why am I asking you because why would you be in this crowded classroom waiting for a teacher that is now ten minutes late?

I don't know.

Do you know?

I've done it again.

What is wrong with me?

Do you have a name?

CORDELIA! STOP TALKING TO THE PERSON YOU'VE MADE UP IN YOUR HEAD!

But......

What if you are actually real?

I pinch myself on my leg to try and stop my thoughts from spiralling me into complete madness. I look around the room. A teacher finally arrives and plonks his stuff on his desk. He apologises for being late.

I check my watch. He's very late. He's half an hour late to be exact. People's thoughts swarm my head and I try to disregard them or at least not dwell on them.

I agree with one wishing that school was over already.

I feel jealous of someone who got twelve hours of sleep last night.

I try my best to ignore the extremely inappropriate one.

Eventually, they all just sit in my head. I don't pay much attention to them. They make my head hurt and I can barely think or see straight, but I don't read them.

None of them grab my focus.

Except for one.

One very quiet thought that jolts me awake.

No-one can know I read minds.

A/N

What do you think of my little twist at the end?

Thank you for reading!

- blue_budgie52